Eric Peters says that the new Camaro will fail because we live in an unmanly era:
But the thing that will drive a stake through the new Camaro’s hood, deep into its small-block heart, is the polarizing, hyper-macho cod piece styling. If the production car ends up looking like the show car that’s been in every buff magazine and all over the news, it will be the belly flop heard ’round the world.The enduring genius of Ford’s Mustang is that it transcends testosterone — and the muscle car era. Fitted with a hi-po engine and stripes, it’s a car that guys absolutely love. But it doesn’t alienate women — and women are half the market, don’t forget (and most guys have a woman in their lives who they’d prefer not to annoy with their choice of car). The previous generation (1994-2002) Camaro was an “in your face” kind of car — and so is this new one. You either love it — or you hate it. And the question is, can GM afford such a confrontational machine with inherently limited appeal — one that’s already hobbled by being late to the game, fighting for a relatively small subset of prospective buyers and which will likely arrive just in time for the next ugly uptick in gas prices?
The smart money (or mine, at least) says don’t bet the farm on it.
It’s 2007 — not 1967.